No surprise here, as the number one spot goes straight to the true pinnacle of animation; Batman: The Animated Series. Loved by many and regarded as the definitive Batman of all time, the animated series was the beginning of a new era for comic book animation. Its influence can be seen in cartoons even today, as it set a particular standard for artistic quality in animation. It had a style that hadn't been recognised in Western animation before, basing its look after the art deco concepts of Bruce Timm, and the creative force driving the show presented viewers with a wonderful envisioning of the Dark Knight, aided by the perfect voice actors; Kevin Conroy, Mark Hamill and Arleen Sorkin - amongst many more. The cartoon was remarkably progressive for its time, and it dealt with some truly tragic storylines. Its finest moments included Mr Freeze's origin story 'Heart of Ice', and Harvey Dent's 'Two-Face' storyline, which established these characters as unambiguously-sympathetic bad guys. It was also innovative at the same time, as it gave us fan-favourite Harley Quinn. It can be praised for its adult themes for hours on end, but it would be criminal to dismiss how stupendous the animation was. Glancing back at the show now, it is unparalleled by most cartoons on various networks even today. Just go back and watch 'Feat of Clay', which still manages to astonish. It's tragic, accessible, funny, dramatic and exciting. Batman: The Animated Series has received various awards for its outstanding animation and storytelling, and there's no argument about it. It is a phenomenal piece of animation, and it stands as one of the greatest cartoons of all time.
